Immune dysregulation can be a component of many pathological diseases or conditions. Such dysregulation may be a factor that favors the establishment, maintenance or progression of these diseases or conditions. Deficient immune responses or immune suppression can enhance a mammal's susceptibility to infection or to the development of cancer. Conversely, excessive or inappropriate immune responses can play a role in the establishment or progression of unwanted inflammation or autoimmune conditions. It would thus be advantageous to utilize agents that can modulate immune responses and to at least partially reverse immune dysregulation when such dysregulation is a component of a given pathological condition. Some agents are known that can ameliorate some aspects of immune dysregulation, but typically such agents have their own unwanted effects on either the host's immune system or other organs or tissues. Agents such as glucocorticoid steroids have been used to reduce unwanted inflammation in a number of clinical conditions, but such compounds often have serious limitations, such as inducing immune suppression or causing unwanted mood changes.
Human and mammalian immune responses to infections or other conditions are often characterized by responses mediated by different immune effector cell populations. In some situations, helper T cells designated Th1 in the murine system, facilitate immune effector functions that are typically dominated by cell-mediated responses. In other cases, helper T cells designated Th2 cells facilitate immune effector functions that are typically dominated by humoral responses. A vigorous Th1 response is usually desirable to help clear infections or to slow the progression of an infection. When a subject's immune response is biased to, or dominated by, a Th2-type response, the cytokines associated with the Th2 response tend to suppress the immune system's capacity to mount a vigorous Th1 response at the same time. The converse is also generally true. When mammalian immune responses begin to result in an increasing Th1 response, Th2 responses tend to weaken. Insufficient Th1 responses may be associated with progression of some infections or other conditions, see, e.g., M. Clerici and G. M. Shearer, Immunol. Today 14:107-111, 1993; M. Clerici and G. M. Shearer, Immunol. Today 15:575-581, 1994.
Methods to make and use 3β-hydroxyandrost-5-ene-17-one (dehydroepiandrosterone) and certain other steroids and their biological properties have been described, see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,833,793, 2,911,418, 3,148,198, 3,471,480, 3,976,691, 4,268,441, 4,427,649, 4,542,129, 4,666,898, 4,956,355, 5,001,119, 5,043,165, 5,077,284, 5,028,631, 5,110,810, 5,157,031, 5,162,198, 5,175,154, 5,277,907, 5,292,730, 5,296,481, 5,372,996, 5,387,583, 5,407,684, 5,424,463, 5,461,042, 5,478,566, 5,506,223, 5,518,725, 5,527,788, 5,527,789, 5,532,230, 5,559,107, 5,562,910, 5,583,126, 5,585,371, 5,587,369, 5,591,736, 5,593,981, 5,610,150, 5,635,496, 5,641,766, 5,641,768, 5,656,621, 5,660,835, 5,686,438, 5,696,106, 5,700,793, 5,707,983, 5,709,878, 5,710,143, 5,714,481, 5,728,688, 5,736,537, 5,744,462, 5,753,237, 5,756,482, 5,776,921, 5,776,923, 5,780,460, 5,795,880, 5,798,347, 5,798,348, 5,804,576, 5,807,848, 5,807,849, 5,811,418, 5,824,313, 5,824,668, 5,824,671, 5,827,841, 5,837,269, 5,837,700, 5,843,932, 5,846,963, 5,859,000, 5,872,114, 5,872,147, 5,162,198, 5,206,008, 5,292,730, 5,407,684, 5,461,042, 5,461,768, 5,478,566, 5,585,371, 5,635,496, 5,641,766, 5,837,269, 5,885,977, 5,846,963, 5,919,465, 5,869,090, 5,863,910, 5,856,340, 5,804,576, 5,714,481, 4,978,532, 4,898,694, 4,542,129, 3,711,606, 3,710,795, 3,189,597, 3,137,710 and 2,531,441; German patent numbers 2035738 and 2705917; PCT publication numbers WO 95/21617, WO 97/38695, WO 97/48367, WO 98/05338, WO 98/50040, WO 98/50041, WO 98/58650, WO 00/32176, WO 00/32177, WO 00/32201, WO 00/35472, WO 00/56757, WO 01/30802, WO 93/20696, WO 99/25333, WO 01/30802, WO 01/23405, WO 02/28880, WO 02/69977 and WO 03/039554; European publication numbers 0020029, 0090736, 0133995, 0934745 and 0637203; E. R. Glazier, J. Org. Chem. 1962 27:2937-2938, Ben-David, et al., Proc. Soc. Expt. Biol. Med. 1967 125:1136-1140, Coleman et al., Diabetes 1982 31:830, Oertel, et al., J. Steroid Biochem. 1972 3:493-496, Pashko, et al., Carcinogenesis 1981 2:717-721, Schwartz et al., Nutr. Cancer 1981 3:46-53, Dyner et al., J. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 1993 6:459-465, M. H. Whitnall et al., Int'l. J. Immunopharmacology 2000 22:1-14, 1. Porsova-Dutoit et al., Physiological Res. 2000 49 (Suppl. 1):S43-S56, R. L. Jesse et al., Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1995 774:281-290, C. Chavis et al., Steroids 1982 39:129-147, M. Numazawa and Y. Osawa Steroids 1981 38:149-159, G. Flouret et al., J. Med. Chem. 1972 15:1281-1283 and A. A. Afanasii and Y. A. Titov, Total Steroid Synthesis, Plenum Press, New York, 1970, see, e.g., p 1-304.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,908,358 and 4,902,681 describe the capacity of compounds such as 5α-pregnan-3,20-dione, cortexolone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and 16α-methylprogesterone to inhibit the clearance of antibody-coated cells from circulation in disorders such as immune thrombocytopenic purpura or immune hemolytic anemia.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,532,230, 5,686,438, 5,753,640 and 5811418 and J. Bratt and M. Heimburger, Scand. J. Rheumatol. 1999 28:308-313 describe the capacity of compounds such as prednisolone, and 3β-hydroxyandrost-5-ene-17-one to limit tissue damage in ischemic tissues by inhibiting adhesion of cells such as neutrophils to endothelial cells or to treat pulmonary hypertension.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,000 describes the capacity compounds such as 3β-hydroxyandrost-5-ene-17-one to reduce mast cell mediated allergic reactions.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,763,433 and 6,372,732 and PCT publication WO 96/35428 describe the capacity of certain androstane and androstene compounds such as 3β-hydroxyandrost-5-ene-17-one to treat certain immune disorder conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,925,630, 5,939,545 and 5962443 describe the capacity of 19-nur-pregnane steroids, 3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one and related steroids to modulate certain neurological activities such as hypothalamic function and GABA receptor activity.
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Some proteins such as interleukin-6 (“IL-6”), erythropoietin (“EPO”) and thrombopoietin (“TPO”) have been examined for their capacity to enhance various aspects hematopoiesis, e.g., Hematology—Basic Principles and Practice, 3rd edition, R. Hoffman, E. J. Benz Jr. et al., editors, Churchill Livingstone, N.Y., 2000 (see, e.g., Chapter 14 at pages 154-202), O. J. Borge et al., Blood 1996 88:2859-2870, M. Cremer et al., Ann. Hematol. 1999 78:401-407, Y. Sasaki et al., Blood 1999 94:1952-1960, U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,673. Recombinant IL-6 was shown in model systems to affect platelet counts in peripheral circulation, e.g., Stahl et al., Blood 1991 78:1467-1475, although significant toxicities are associated with its administration to humans, e.g., Andus et al., FEBS Lett. 1987 221:18, J. Gauldie et al., P.N.A.S. U.S.A. 1987 84:7251-7255, T. Geiger et al., Eur. J. Immunol. 1988 18:717-721. The IL-6 molecule has been described in detail, e.g., publication no. WO 88/00206. Administration of proteins is typically expensive, given factors such as the complexity of producing pharmaceutical grade material.
There is a current need for cost-effective pharmaceutical agents and treatment methods for treating various immune dysregulation conditions. The invention provides compounds that can be used in such treatments to treat or ameliorate one or more aspects of immune dysregulation conditions. Such agents can be used to treat autoimmune or inflammation conditions, immune suppression conditions, infections, blood cell deficiencies and other described conditions. The agents and methods are useful to ameliorate these conditions or one or more symptoms associated with any of these conditions. The use of these agents can be combined with one or more conventional treatments for these disorders.